Cheekspine Goby, Asterropteryx ensifera (Bleeker 1874)


Other Names: Bluedot Goby, Blue-speckled Rubble Goby, Blue-spotted Rubble Goby, Bluespotted Rubblegoby, Miller's Starrygoby
Summary:
A greyish-brown goby with four rows of bright blue evenly-spaced round spots along the side, similar spots scattered on the head, some blue spots on the caudal fin (no spots on the caudal peduncle), additional short rows of spots behind the pectoral fin, and spots sometimes scattered on the dorsal and anal fins. The Cheekspine Goby has a single broad-based spine at the corner of the preopercle, and adults have an elongate third dorsal-fin spine. The species has no a transverse bar below the eye.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2024, Asterropteryx ensifera in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/86

Cheekspine Goby, Asterropteryx ensifera (Bleeker 1874)

More Info


Distribution

North Reef, Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and the northern Great Barrier Reef to Swains Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical, Indo-west-central Pacific.
Inhabits clear coral rubble areas, especially on seaward reefs exposed to currents.

Features

Dorsal fin VI+I,10; Anal fin I,9; Pectoral fin 17-19; Longitudinal scale series 43-25; TRB 7-9; Predorsal scales 6-8..
Body depth 2.7-3.1 in SL. Scales mostly ctenoid; cheek and opercle scales cycloid; corner of preopercle with single broad based spine, about half to two-thirds pupil diameter in length.
Third dorsal-fin spine elongate, filamentous; caudal fin rounded.

Etymology

The specific name is from the Latin ensifer (= sword), in reference to the spine-like projection on the corner of the preopercle.

Species Citation

Brachyeleotris ensifera Bleeker, 1874, Verslag. Meded. Konink. Akad. Wetensch. 2 7: 375. Type locality: Kajeli, Buru Island, Maluku, Indonesia.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2024

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Cheekspine Goby, Asterropteryx ensifera (Bleeker 1874)

References


Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Bleeker, P. 1874. Notice sur les genres Amblyeleotris, Valenciennesia et Brachyeleotris. Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Afdeeling Natuurjunde). Amsterdam 2 7: 372-376. See ref at BHL

Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Melbourne : Zoonetics pp. 623–893.

Larson, H.K. 2022. Family Gobiidae, Gobies and mudskippers, pp. 19-179, Pls. 1-46, in Heemstra, P.C. et al. 2022: Coastal fishes of the western Indian Ocean. Volume 5. Makhanda, South Africa : South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity: i, 1-487, i-xi, Pls. 1-129. See ref online

Larson, H. & Greenfield, D. 2016. Asterropteryx ensifera. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T193000A2182841. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T193000A2182841.en. Downloaded on 26 July 2018.

Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. Guam : Coral Graphics vi 330 pp. 192 pls.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Winterbottom, R. & Emery, A.R. 1986. Review of the gobioid fishes of the Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean. Royal Ontario Museum Life Science Contributions 42: 1-82. See ref at BHL

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37428057

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:6-40 m

Habitat:Reef associated, rubble areas

Max Size:3 cm SL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map